Starkville’s three-person budget committee will meet Jan. 5 to discuss how individual departments are adhering to their Fiscal Year 2014-2015 budgets after Vice Mayor Roy A. Perkins said he is troubled by increasing expenses.
The three-person committee, comprised of Perkins, Ward 5 Alderman Scott Maynard and Ward 2 Alderman Lisa Wynn, will meet with department heads at 11 a.m., one day before the first official Starkville Board of Aldermen meeting.
Perkins’ comments at the board table last week mark the second straight meeting suggested an increase departmental spending is occurring. Previously, he set his sights on Starkville Fire Department and Starkville Electric Department’s individual claims docket listings, saying they and other city divisions need to cut back on spending.
“I’m continuing to see some very extravagant expenses in the claims docket, and some, in my opinion, that are questionable,” he said Dec. 16 after asking Ward 5 Alderman Scott Maynard to schedule a budget committee meeting.
The vice mayor made no further comments on the matter last week, nor did he respond to a phone call Tuesday to clarify his position and findings.
At the board’s Dec. 2 meeting, the vice mayor noted his claims docket was “filled with yellow marks” — ones he did not elaborate upon because of time constraints — and targeted SFD’s participation in the Pink Heals cancer-awareness fire truck tour, SED’s usage of consultants and random employee purchases as areas where the city could improve its financial health.
“I appreciate what department heads are doing — trying to cut back on spending — but there are still a lot of areas where spending needs to be cut back, like special events. I appreciate what the fire chief is doing (with Pink Heals), but when we’re told about it — that we’re invited and can appear — we’re not told about the expenses. We spent a good amount of money on that, over a few thousand dollars,” Perkins said. “There are a lot of purchases I see. Individuals go to the (Oktibbeha County Co-Op) and shop at random for things, like boots. I know they have to have things to do various jobs, but it looks like a lot of excessive things.
“I’m just too conservative to understand why things like that will be done,” he added.
Rather than focusing on specific expenses, Maynard said he hopes the Jan. 5 meeting will allow department heads to look at their budgets, which are now one-fourth of the way through the fiscal year, to make sure they stay below their individually allotted marks.
Aldermen approved Tuesday’s $2.11 million claims docket with a 5-2 vote. Perkins and Ward 7 Alderman Henry Vaughn traditionally are the lone votes each meeting against the claims docket, which is the city’s bill-paying method. The duo also routinely blocks other aldermen’s attempts to create a consent agenda, a list of smaller-ticket items aldermen approve in one order before tackling important issues.
The bills included $1.2 million for parking garage invoices associated with the Mill at MSU project. The Mississippi Development Authority will reimburse those funds.
A portion of the claims docket included previously approved, quarterly contributions to a variety of agencies, including the Oktibbeha County Humane Society ($26,500), Starkville-Oktibbeha County Library ($42,600), Miss. Horse Park ($7,500) and Starkville Chamber of Commerce ($5,000). It also included a $78,366.67 distribution for Starkville Parks and Recreation Department operation.
The parks system is governed by Starkville Parks Commission, which is independent and free of city control.
Another large chunk — $245,282.94 — went to a variety of water and sewer department funds, including new construction and rehab and wastewater.
About $442,000 of the city’s total bill came general fund expenses associated with a variety of city departments. For example, about $50,000 was spent from the undesignated portion of the general fund, which included $87.50 for a funeral’s floral arrangement, while a majority of the mayor’s office’s $4,419.02 in expenses were from Cadence Bank building and elevator inspections.
Carl Smith covers Starkville and Oktibbeha County for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter @StarkDispatch
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 36 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.